Pope Francis announced today, in front of Belgian authorities and representatives of civil society, that peace is not a victory achieved once and for all but rather a mission and a message that must be cared for with perseverance and patience. He stated that humanity falls again if it stops remembering the past and learning from it.

During a meeting held at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Brussels, the Holy Father described Belgium as a Western and pivotal country, the heart of a larger body. He noted that although the country is not very large, its central story has led weary nations from World War II to make it a natural home for essential European institutions, situated between the Germanic and Latin worlds, thus forming the essence of Europe.